RARE AFRIKA KORPS M35 ET64 BRUSH STROKE HELMET

I’ve done a lot of reading on the subject and the basic conclusions I’ve reached are the given below however please feel free to correct if any of my comments are inaccurate.

While many mustard, dull yellow and varying grades of tan painted helmets are almost always stated as being from North Africa many are in fact from the Italian, Greek or possibly Southern Russian theaters of war. The real color code used and stipulated by Wehrmacht High Command was to use RAL 8000 later replaced by a browner RAL 8020 color code. This was paint issued to be spray painted on vehicles, tanks, artilery equipment etc. and so yes of course the same was used on many helmets.

Sometime during the initial months or at least first year of the invasion of North Africa in June of 1940 it was realized by German planners that the terrain had a pinkish hue to the surrounding sand due to crushed red coral deposits laid down millions of years ago from a shifting Mediterranean coastline. The need for a pinkish tan paint was therefore realized and issued as an appropriate “vehicular paint” color. The degree of “pinkishness” appears to vary widely with this particular specimen here on my site being the most pink I have ever seen before! When they are this pink you know 100% for certain it was directly involved in the fighting of North Africa mainly in Libya and Tunisia where the sands have the most pinkish hues to them.

DAK paint was notorious for flaking off and peeling due to the extreme temperature fluctuations between night and day as well as the abrasive nature of the wind driven sands. I believe that due to the intense heat that the pink paint color might have been magnified or diminished by way of chemical reaction which is why the degree of pink varies.

This helmet is an early war M35 ET64 with a 1938 date on both the end of the chinstrap and outer liner band. Around 85% original tan pink camo paint appears to have been brushed on instead of spray painted. The pins have never ever been touched and so the liner is original and never removed. Originally it left the factory as a double decal Heer helmet later painted no doubt in situ once they landed in North Africa. What’s great about this helmet is that you can still see both original decals beneath the pinkish DAK paint and that both the original liner drawstring and chinstrap are still in tact so it’s 100% complete.

Tough to gauge pricing as most DAK’s are suspicious Italian/Greek theater helmets so when it’s this pink and we have no doubt it’s from Africa I believe that deserves a premium. I’m sure other more well established dealers would have a hefty price tag on this one at around $4250. My price however I feel is a lot more on the side of fair and therefore accessible in my opinion.